How Much Is Ulcerative Colitis Affecting Your Life?

If you have ulcerative colitis (UC), you’ve probably missed out on an occasional dinner with family or friends. But how do you know if that signals a bigger problem? Is UC truly interfering with your quality of life, or are your symptoms typically under control? The truth is, the answer may not be the same for you as it is for another person.

“It’s going to vary by person [what] their ‘normal’ is,” says Jessica Philpott, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic. “Ulcerative colitis doesn’t limit some people at all. They take their medicines and they feel fine. But a good portion of them will have ongoing mild symptoms.”

If you commonly experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fatigue, food intolerance, and pain, you don’t have to settle for “just okay.” There are plenty of things you can do to live a full life — if you know when to ask for help.

Take this quiz to gauge how the condition may be affecting you emotionally, physically, and socially.

This assessment is part of a series aimed at helping you check in on ulcerative colitis before your next checkup with your doctor. Take more assessments.

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy. We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Additional Sources

What Should I Eat? Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Pain Management for IBD Patients. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Social Life. Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
Khan S et al. Facts Influencing the Quality of Life in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Comprehensive Review. Disease-a-Month. January 2024.

Waseem Ahmed, MD

Medical Reviewer

Waseem Ahmed, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Karsh Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles and serves as Director, Advanced Inflammatory Bowel Disease Fellowship and Education within the F. Widjaja Inflammatory Bowel Disease Institute.

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan and attended medical school at Indiana University. He then completed an internal medicine residency at New York University, followed by a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology at Indiana University, and an advanced fellowship in inflammatory bowel disease at the Jill Roberts Center for Inflammatory Bowel Disease at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to his current role, Dr. Ahmed served as an assistant professor of medicine within the Crohn’s and Colitis Center at the University of Colorado from 2021-2024.

Dr. Ahmed is passionate about providing innovative, comprehensive, and compassionate care for all patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). His research interests include IBD medical education for patients, providers, and trainees; clinical trials; acute severe ulcerative colitis; and the use of combined advanced targeted therapy in high-risk IBD.

He enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, is an avid follower of professional tennis, and enjoys fine dining.

See full bio

Erica Patino

Author

Erica Patino is a freelance writer and editor, content strategist, and usability specialist who has worked for a variety of online health outlets, including Healthline, Sharecare, and Twill Care. She was previously a senior editor at Everyday Health. She is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Hear 2 Tell, a website that covers advances in hearing loss treatment. Patino lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband and twin sons.

See full bio